Felix-Christopher von Nostitz

September 2013 to January 2014

POL 2062 Comparative Politics: Approaches and Concepts

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Politics, University of Exeter (UK)

This module aims at introducing students to basic approaches and concepts in the field of comparative politics. It aims at providing you with the skills to engage in systematic comparison and to apply core theories to a range of political phenomena central to this subfield of political science and to critically evaluate the usefulness of these theories. Furthermore, the module familiarises students with core themes discussed in comparative politics such as the transition to democracy, the role of elections in different types of regimes or the study of non-elected institutions. The first part of the module deals with strategies of comparison and concepts shaping core debates in comparative politics. The second part focuses on the empirical analysis of core actors linked to the electoral process (e.g. governments, voters, parties) and the study of non-elected institutions such as constitutional courts and government agencies.